ABILITIES Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

abilities

noun

plural of ability

as in capabilities

the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abilities On their final night, the veteran took her hand and urged her to recognize and embrace her own abilities — and to chase the rare opportunity that her unique background has opened up. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 The latest breed of artificial intelligence assistants goes beyond the abilities of chatbots, which are great at answering questions and creating content. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026 Related Stories After narrating several episodes with a history of women with the TK gene, which gives Carrie her telekinetic abilities, Adelaide is revealed as the person interviewing the survivors of the prom night fire. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026 Colleges must remember that they have been set up to provide people with an education that stretches their cognitive abilities while preparing them for whatever comes next. — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 And instead of Mary Jane or Ned Leeds from the MCU, Peter is joined by his friends Nico Minoru, who has mystical sorcerer abilities, and Harry Osborne, the rich son of Norman. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 The Pan America is a great touring bike with quite decent off-road abilities – which, just quietly, is what the GS is and has. — New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026 In recent weeks, some leading AI firms have warned that their models’ coding abilities could foment humanity’s demise. — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Prosper showed off his high-flying abilities during the match. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities

Noun

With its multi-mission configuration and experience in military exercises and operational settings, Hunter WOLF will now face a further assessment of its capabilities at Camp Grafton.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
While Saudi Arabia has considerable military capabilities, experience in Yemen, and powerful allies like Pakistan and Türkiye, active US backing remains crucial, both strategically and politically.

— Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of capabilities

Noun

Several data center projects with potential capacities of hundreds of megawatts have recently been announced in the country.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Milano, the world’s biggest high-end design trade show, continue to expand their capacities beyond their traditional role, in order to help small- and medium-sized firms through a tough economy.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of capacities

Noun

Wilkoski said the materials for the original church demonstrated the resourcefulness of the congregants, who likely included carpenters with the skills necessary to build the church.

— Nancy Jiang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
The flight simulator focuses on pilot proficiency, while the maintenance trainer is intended to develop the technical skills needed to keep aircraft available for missions.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of skills

Noun

Are big brands and competitive matches enough to sustain the league, if clubs can’t afford to splash for the world’s biggest talents?

— Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Today, the brand’s stewards are a mix of veteran producers and relative newcomers who have kept the fanbase alive by using the IP to platform filmmakers with a remarkable array of creative talents.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of talents

Noun

The prosecution’s argument Prosecutors argued Clancy was in full control of her faculties at the time of the killings and deliberately planned the murders.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Rather than focusing on the mom's faculties, the advisor asked how each family member viewed success across different time horizons.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of faculties

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.

— GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index found that seven in 10 managers would prefer to hire a less experienced candidate with AI competencies than a more experienced one without them.

— Mary Moreland, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Building curriculum in partnership with employers that blends technical training with the workplace habits and human competencies that define on-the-job success is part of what makes these pathways work.

— Philip Weinberg, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of competencies

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abilities

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“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abilities

noun

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